dragon archives 04 - dance with a dragon

by Linda K Hopkins

  “You are very glowey now,” she said. “Will you also live at Storbrook?”

  Max laughed. “Your aunt makes me burn very much, little dragon.” His face sobered slightly. “When people are married, they live together, so I will live wherever Aunty Anna lives. But I’m not sure that it will be at Storbrook.” He glanced at Anna. With how quickly things had happened, there hadn’t been a chance to discuss where they would live. She gave a slight nod in agreement.

  “Uncle Max and I will have our own home, somewhere other than Storbrook, but you can visit us, and we will visit you,” she said. Lydia opened her mouth to protest, but then she was being pulled into her father’s arms, her protests unnoticed, as Aaron thumped Max on the back and embraced Anna, and others swarmed around to share their own good wishes.

  Richard and Aaron had arranged musicians for dancing and food from the innkeeper whose inn backed the square. Max later told Anna that with the hard work of the two men, there had been nothing for him to do. The musicians struck up a lively carol, and soon a dance was twisting its way around the square as more and more people joined in. There were no fancy court dances, but country carols that weaved around the square as dancers laughed gaily. Sarah Draper tried to position herself next to the groom as much as possible, but he only had eyes for his mate.

  “My wife, in every possible way,” he whispered in her ear. “I love you.”

  Chapter 53

  “I want to return to the city,” Anna told Max a few days later. They had returned to Storbrook after the wedding, moving between Anna’s chambers and Max’s.

  “Why the city?”

  “I need to finish business with the queen.”

  “What do you mean? You cannot return to her service.”

  “I know that. But I would like a chance to explain why I left. Kathleen believed Blanche’s story that we had run away together, and I want to convince Matilda that that was not the case and try to salvage what I can of my reputation.”

  “Kathleen is naïve and gullible, and she should have trusted her friend,” Max said, “but Matilda knows better than to give credence to what Blanche says. But that being said, Blanche’s tale has already spread through the court.”

  “You heard it when you were back?”

  Max nodded. “I denied it, of course, but it is far too salacious to be forgotten.”

  “I know.” Anna glanced away. “But I must try.”

  “Very well. We will go to Civitas, and you can help me decide whether I should keep my house there. When shall we leave?”

  “Tomorrow,” Anna said, with a smile.

  Max wrapped his arms around her. “Always eager, aren’t you?”

  “Just eager to be alone with you,” Anna whispered.

  They left the following morning. The first snows had already fallen in the mountains, and the fresh snow gleamed in the early morning light. They flew until dusk, when Max saw a small lake in the distance. He headed towards it, and Anna gasped when he struck the water, plunging his lower body beneath the frigid surface as he sped through the spray. He ducked his long neck into the depths, then lifted it with a fish clamped between his teeth. He threw it into the air, and catching it in his mouth, swallowed it whole.

  “Urgh,” Anna said. “Raw fish.”

  “It wasn’t raw by the time it reached my stomach,” Max said. He ducked his head down again and came up with another catch. Instead of swallowing, he skimmed across the water and dropped it on the beach. “That’s your supper,” he said. Anna looked at it in distaste as Max changed his form. He scavenged along the shore for a moment before returning with a handful of sticks. Two of them were forked, and he pushed them into the sand, forked ends up, before spearing the fish with a thinner branch, which he laid across the two forks. He placed a few larger logs on the sand, and with a snap of his fingers shot a flare of flame onto the wood.

  “How can you do that?” Anna asked.

  “What?”

  “Make flames come from your hand.”

  “That’s Aaron’s trick, not mine,” Max said, drawing her down onto the sand next to him. “Only dragons far older and stronger than myself can control the burn that way, and Aaron is the most powerful dragon I know. He can turn himself completely into flame, and since I’ve had his blood, a tiny amount of his ability also resides in me.”

  “I thought all dragons had tasted Aaron’s blood.”

  “Hmm, the dragons of Aaron’s clan have, but I drank more than most.” He turned to look at her. “When we were facing Jack,” he said.

  “Yes, I heard!” Anna looked away. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, back then. If I had, things would have been so different! You risked your life for me, and I acted like a child,” she said.

  He smiled and gently lifted the hair that was blowing around her face. “You were a child, my darling. And we were both a little proud. Perhaps both of us needed to grow up a bit,” he said.

  She smiled. “Yes, maybe we did.” She stared into the flames as they flickered and danced, searing the fish above them. “Keira said one time that Aaron talked of a dragon savior.”

  “That’s just a legend.”

  “You don’t believe it is true?”

  Max shrugged. “If it is, it will come from a very powerful line. Aaron’s the most powerful dragon I know.”

  “So perhaps Zach or Lydia is the savior.”

  Max laughed. “I think we would already have some indication if they were. Maybe it will be one of Zach’s offspring.”

  “Not Lydia’s?”

  “Female dragons cannot bear children.”

  “Oh, yes. I knew that.” Anna turned back to the flames. Lydia would never be able to have children. Would she be able to find a man who would love her and cherish her, or would he run away when he discovered her true nature? Perhaps she would mate with another dragon, but most male dragons would want to mate with a human so they could continue their line. The challenges facing Lydia seemed too much for a young girl to bear, but of course, every other female dragon shared the same fate. At least she was not alone.

  Max and Anna left again the next morning, flying over open fields and countryside. “I need to hunt,” Max said as he rose into the air. “I’m consuming more energy than usual.” He turned to look at her with a leer, and she grinned back.

  “Then you’d better make sure you find an especially large creature to feast on, because you will be consuming a whole lot more,” she said. He groaned, and his eyes flared into blazing flames. He turned ahead to watch where he was flying.

  “If you keep talking like that, we will never get anywhere,” he said, his tone low. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “I know,” she whispered.

  Max started losing height as they approached a small forest. “I can see a ledge above the forest floor,” he said. “I will drop you there to wait for me.”

  “Why can’t I stay with you?”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said. A sheer rock face, rising about ten feet from the forest floor, provided a rocky outcropping, and it was here that he landed. She slid off his back as he lifted his head and sniffed the air. “There’s something just beyond the trees,” he whispered. “Wait here.”

  He turned and rose silently into the air again, changing direction as he reached above the height of the forest canopy. Anna watched as he glided above the green branches. She lost sight of him for a moment, but then he was back in view. She saw his eyes brighten as he turned downward towards the earth, then silently he gathered speed and plunged towards the ground. Anna gasped when she saw how fast he was going, and a roar broke through the air, shattering the silence. She could feel it in her bones and she shuddered. If she had not known it was Max she would have turned and fled in terror.

  She shifted herself on the rock and tried to see him between the trees. There was furious rustling, and she sidled over some more, then stopped when he came in sight. The dragon’s jaws were clamped on a la
rge animal on the ground, the blood seeping between his teeth. He stayed like that for a moment, and she could see his throat working as he swallowed the warm liquid. He pulled back slightly and shook his head from side to side, tearing the body apart, then used his claws to rip the animal open. He buried his snout in the bloody flesh, tearing off chunks of blackened meat with his teeth. She watched, a combination of awe and horror twisting through her. How could she love such a vicious creature? She could see the sharp horns on his head glimmering in the sunlight as he buried his head in the steaming carcass of his prey. He ripped off another piece of flesh and lifted his head, growling as his powerful jaws chewed and swallowed. He looked in her direction and his blazing eyes caught hers, holding them until he dropped his head and ripped off more flesh. She felt a clenching in her stomach as she watched, but it was no longer born of fear.

  He lifted his head again as he ripped off another chunk of flesh, then stiffened as a breeze swept lightly through the air. He turned slowly to look at her, and his gaze met hers through the trees. His tail swished on the ground, raising swirling leaves and dust into the air as it flicked from side to side. He stared at her for a moment, then lifted his face to the sky and like an arrow, hurled himself up into the clouds. His wings were spread out wide as he flew higher and higher. Flames spewed from his mouth and rolled over his huge form, and as she watched, a roar ripped through the air. He turned, doubling back on himself, and she gasped when she saw he was heading straight towards her, his tail streaming behind him as he sped closer. He raced through the sky, his huge body flashing like a streak of lightning, his talons outstretched before him.

  She scrambled to her feet as he drew closer, fear making her fumble. He had said he would never hurt her, but was this ferocious monster hurtling towards her really the husband she loved?

  His talons clamped around her arms and she flew through the air, landing on the ground beneath him, his talons penning her in on the sides. His claws had ripped the top of her bodice and scratched her skin, bringing a few drops of blood to the surface. He glanced down at the exposed skin, then bending his head, slowly licked her. His forked tongue was long and hot, and it dragged over her skin as she shivered. He pulled back to look at her, his eyes flaming as he stared into her eyes. His tail swished against the ground, curling around her legs as it moved from side to side, and slowly, she pushed the ripped gown off her shoulders. He glanced down at her, then bent his head close to her ear.

  “You’re playing with fire,” he whispered, his voice tight. She reached up her hands, and grabbing his horns, pulled him closer. They were long and smooth, and as she ran her fingers over the tips, she could feel how sharp they were.

  “Then make me burn, dragon,” she whispered back. A shudder passed through him, and he growled as his tail swished harder. His snout was in her hair, and as he breathed in deeply, a rumble reverberated through his enormous chest. There was a flash of light as he shifted into his human form, and then his lips were on hers, his tongue devouring her. She gasped when he claimed her, and she claimed him, too. They flew higher than they had ever been before, beyond the clouds and past the stars until they reached the edge of heaven, and even then there was no limit to the pleasure they took in each other. Max raised himself up from her, pushing his arms straight and throwing back his head, and roared out a stream of flame that rolled down his neck and over his back. The roar shuddered through her and left her trembling to her toes. She wrapped her arms around him as he collapsed back onto her, and they lay together until the night fell.

  Chapter 54

  Anna and Max arrived at Drake Manor the next day. As they approached, a dragon flew towards them, and Max glanced back at Anna. “Bronwyn is coming to meet you,” he said.

  “Anna!” Bronwyn shouted, speeding towards the pair with eyes bright with excitement. “When I heard you were back at Storbrook, I thought I wouldn’t see you again for ages. But here you are. And mated to Uncle Max!”

  Anna laughed. “No getting rid of me now,” she said.

  Bronwyn grinned. “Brilliant!” she said. She glanced at Max. “You know we have visitors?”

  Max lifted his head and sniffed the air, suddenly slowing down to a hover.

  “What is he doing here?” he said. His voice was hard, and when Anna glanced at him, she saw that his eyes were a dull, flat yellow.

  Bronwyn shrugged. “He heard you were coming. I think he wants to see you, Uncle Max.”

  “Who is it?” Anna asked.

  “James,” Max said.

  “James? Your father?”

  Max growled. “No! Just the beast who left his seed with my mother.”

  “What about his wife? Is she here too?” she asked. James was married to Beatrix, who was also a dragon. They had mated long after Max was born, but she was furious when she learned that James had fathered two children before they were married, abandoning both mothers before they even delivered their babies and not bothering to find a way to tell his children about their true natures.

  “Yes,” Max said. He was circling the manor house, and Anna saw a small party forming at the entrance to the building. She could easily pick out Owain and Favian, with their red coloring, which meant that the other man must be James. She nudged Max with her knees.

  “Are you going to hover all day?” she asked.

  “I suppose not,” he said with a grimace.

  He circled around one more time, then landed on the ground before the party. Bronwyn landed next to him as he nodded at the two red-heads.

  “Owain. Favian. It is good to see you again.”

  Owain nodded, then glanced at Anna as she slid off Max’s back. Favian gave her a grin.

  “It is good to see you, Anna. I’m glad to see you have finally brought this beast to heel.” Favian glanced at his father, Owain, and with a quick gesture towards Bronwyn, they turned and walked back inside. Bronwyn rose into the air, too, leaving Max and Anna alone with James.

  “Max,” James said. He was a little shorter than Max, with a slighter build. His hair was straight brown, but bronze highlights were evident when he cocked his head. His dark brown eyes regarded Max steadily.

  Max nodded. “James.”

  “I was sorry to hear about your mother,” James said.

  “Well, at least you spared a thought for her in death, since you never did while she lived,” Max replied.

  James sighed. “I heard you had mated, and it is clear that this is the woman. Are you going to introduce us?”

  Max stared at James for a long time, then bent his head down to Anna.

  “Anna, this is James.” He glanced at the other man. “James, Anna.”

  James took a step towards Anna. “I’m Max’s father,” he said.

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” Anna said. Next to her Max snorted.

  “Well, at least that makes one of you,” James said. He turned to Max. “Beatrix is inside and eager to see you again.” He turned and walked into the house.

  “Why are you so angry with him?” Anna asked as James disappeared into the shadows. Max lifted Anna with his talons and flew onto the roof of the manor.

  “James is not my father,” Max said, taking the satchel from Anna’s neck after transforming. He pulled on a pair of breeches. “He may have planted the seed that resulted in my mother breeding, but that is where his involvement in my life ended. He didn’t even stay around long enough to find out he had a son.” Max tugged a pair of boots onto his feet. “I had no idea what was happening to me when I first changed, and now he claims me as his own. But where was he when I needed him?” He pulled on his tunic and turned to face Anna. “James means nothing to me.”

  “Well, clearly you mean something to him,” Anna said.

  Max gave her a look of disbelief. “Are you defending him?”

  “Of course not! I think what he did was terrible. But sometimes people need a second chance. Imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t given me a second chance.”

  “Th
at is quite different,” Max growled, turning away and opening a door that led to a staircase.

  “What happened to your mother?” Anna asked as she followed him down the stairs.

  “She died before I returned to Civitas,” he replied.

  “I’m sorry,” Anna said.

  Max paused, turning to look at her. “I left my childhood home when I was fifteen, determined to find the man who fathered me so I could learn why I was changing. I saw little of her over the years, but before she died I returned to my childhood home to see her. I had given someone my word that I would show my mother what I was. I spent a few months with her before she died.” He glanced away. “It wasn’t long enough, but long enough to tell her about you.”

  Anna smiled, and reaching out her hand, traced the line of his jaw. “I’m always on your side,” she whispered. He smiled, and taking her by the hand, led her down the stairs.

  Beatrix was a large, matronly kind of woman, and she immediately enveloped Anna in a warm embrace. In addition to being Max’s stepmother, she was also Aaron’s aunt. She had tawny, gold eyes, like Aaron’s, but her hair was darker. She pulled back and looked at Anna. “The poor child looks exhausted, Max! You really need to keep in mind that she is only human, and needs to stop and rest when you travel.” Max stepped next to Anna, and rested his hand on her back as he looked down at her in amusement.

  “If the truth be told, Beatrix, Anna is the one who doesn’t give me a moment’s peace.” Anna slowly ground the heel of her boot into Max’s foot, smiling when she heard him shuffle slightly. His arm wrapped around her, and he pinched her side as she squirmed. “She really drives me too hard, but I cannot deny my mate,” he said.

  Behind her, Anna heard Cathryn laugh, and she turned around with relief. “Cathryn, how lovely to see you!”

  Cathryn grinned, then shook her head at Max with an expression of disapproval. She leaned closer to Anna. “You and I have much to discuss, like how to tighten a dragon’s leash.” She glanced around as Margaret came into the room.